Playing in front of a sold-out Borussia-Park, Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Schalke in the Europa League Round of 16 had everything. Despite not being as high profile as Manchester United vs Rostov, this tie produced non-stop end-to-end football and heart-stopping moments.
The two sides met for the fourth time this season on Thursday evening; their third meeting in just 13 days.
A 4-2 win for Gladbach in the Bundesliga kicked things off, before Jonas Hoffman gave Dieter Hecking’s side the lead in the first leg. Guido Burgstaller equalised the scores which meant it was all to play for at Borussia-Park on Thursday.
Heading into the game, Gladbach head coach Hecking believed his side had a “51 percent chance” of qualifying for the Europa League quarter-finals. Luckily for die Fohlen, this tie came on the back of a good run of form, as they had lost just one game in six outings.
An early goal for Borussia Mönchengladbach via a Benedikt Höwedes deflection got things going, although whatever happened, Schalke still needed at least a goal to advance. Unfortunately for Markus Weinzierl and the Royal Blues, Mahmoud Dahoud’s stunner from 25-yards put some breathing space between the two teams.
Schalke managed to get an early goal back through Leon Goretzka, with the ball taking a wicked bounce to travel over Yann Sommer. Nabil Bentaleb equalised on the night to make it 3-3 on aggregate, which saw Schalke advance to the quarter-finals in front of a packed stadium.
Here are three things we learned from the Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Schalke game in the Round of 16 in the Europa League.
#1 Rising star – Mahmoud Dahoud
If elite European clubs weren’t already watching young star Mahmoud Dahoud, they certainly will be now. Exceptional performances in the Bundesliga have seen him linked with a move to Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund, but with a sublime display against Schalke, the Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder will surely have a few more suitors now.
His ability to dictate the tempo at just 21-years-old makes him look like a seasoned veteran. Dahoud scored Mönchengladbach’s second of the evening with a cracking effort from outside the penalty area. If he keeps on going like he is, we’ll no doubt see him reach his potential in no time.
Despite all the positives, though, it was his handball that gave Schalke the penalty to score the equaliser, sending the Royal Blues through.
#2 A German team have the chance to go on and win
With no Sevilla in the Europa League this time around, it really is up in the air as to who we will see make it to the final. KRC Genk are looking strong after defeating their Belgian counterparts KAA Gent, whilst Spanish team Celta Vigo look like a dark horse after beating Krasnodar.
No German team have reached the Europa League final since Werder Bremen in 2009; who lost to Shakhtar Donetsk. However, this time around, Schalke could make it all the way, and Weinzierl really needs a good performance on the European stage considering his performances in the Bundesliga.
If Schalke are to make it all the way, they’re going to need the likes of Max Meyer and Leon Goretzka to be at their best – the former not near the standards where he should be.
#3 No pressure on Dieter Hecking; Markus Weinzierl needs a strong performance
After just 12 months in charge, André Schubert was dismissed as head coach after Gladbach slumped to 14th in the Bundesliga, following a defeat to Wolfsburg in December.
Just one day later, they appointed Hecking. It’s also fair to say that he’s lifted the club. With eight wins in 13, Gladbach have lost just three. Despite crashing out of the Europa League, it’s fair to say that he’s exceeded expectations in Europe, whilst the focus for Hecking now must be to qualify for Europe next season.
Schalke boss, Weinzierl, on the other hand, is under a lot of pressure. Replacing André Breitenreiter at the start of the season, the former Augsburg coach suffered a poor first couple of months in charge, winning his first Bundesliga game in October.
Despite an improvement in form, Schalke find themselves 11th in the league, whilst sitting just four points above the relegation play-offs. There’s been talk in the German media as to whether he’ll still have a job next season, but he needs to get his team performing in the Europa League.
